Adjustable aluminum trailer bunk for trailers

ABSTRACT

An aluminum replacement rail for a trailers including all aluminum rail having a bottom plate and a support member, a plurality of L-brackets, and a protective covering placed over said support member.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of U.S. Ser. No.11/473,316, filed Jun. 23, 2006, (now U.S. Pat. No. ______), whichclaims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/694,416filed on Jun. 27, 2005, the contents of both are incorporated byreference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to trailer bunks. Morespecifically, this invention relates to boat trailer bunks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Traditional trailer bunks often use chemically treated 5.08 cm×10.16 cm(2 in×4 in) lumber that is covered with carpet. Mechanically attached tothe treated lumber are wooden rails that extend partially along thelength of the boat trailer. These rails are typically covered withcarpet in order to protect the hull of the boat that is being loadedonto the carpeted rails. The major drawback, however, of using carpetedrails and carpeted trailer bunks is that carpet begins to deteriorateafter repeated exposures to water. Another disadvantage of this designis that the trailer bunk typically has a short life span since thechemically treated lumber and the wooden rails begin to decay afterrepeated use in an aqueous environment.

Other trailer bunks utilize chemically treated lumber with steelcomponents that are mechanically attached to polymer rails. Polymerrails, unlike carpeted rails, do not deteriorate after repeated exposureto water. In addition to protecting the hull of the boat that is loadedonto the rail, the polymer rail also reduces the coefficient of frictionbetween the boat hull and the rail thereby facilitating the loading andunloading of the boat onto the trailer. The disadvantage of this design,however, is that the steel components are susceptible to rusting afterrepeated exposure to water. Similar to the trailer bunk that isdescribed in the preceding paragraph, this trailer bunk design also hasa short life span because the chemically treated lumber, which is usedas the base of the trailer bunk, begins to decay after repeated use inan aqueous environment.

Another drawback of traditional trailer bunk design is that they oftenhave limited adjustability. Typically, the height of the trailer bunk isselected based on the anticipated bending stresses that are caused bythe weight of the particular boat that will be loaded onto the trailerbunk. The angle of the trailer bunk's rail is determined by the shape ofthe particular boat's hull. Since these trailer bunks are secured by oneor more bolts, which extend through one or more corresponding apertureson either side of the trailer bunk, the adjustability of the trailerbulk is limited because the location of the apertures are determined bythe bending stresses that are exerted onto the trailer bunk as well asthe dimensions of the boat's hull. In other words, a particular trailerbunk can only transport a boat having a specific weight and a specifichull design since the trailer bunk is designed only to accommodate aboat having those characteristics. If the boat trailer is to be usedwith a second boat having a different weight and a different hull designfrom the first boat, then a second set of trailer bunks would have to beused.

Because traditional trailer bunks are susceptible to decay and rustafter repeated exposure to water and have a limited range ofadjustability, there exists a need for an improved trailer bunk that hasan improved life span as well as the ability to accommodate a variety ofboat hull designs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention in one embodiment provides an aluminum trailer bunk havinga support housing, a base plate, an aluminum rail, and a protectivecovering positioned over the aluminum rail.

In an embodiment of the invention, the support housing has a base, afirst wall, and a second wall. The first and second walls extendsubstantially vertically and define a hollow interior having an opentop. Each of the first and second walls has an interior surface that isserrated and has at least one corresponding aperture that is adapted toreceive a bolt or a fastener.

The base plate has a first end and a second end. Located at the firstend of the base plate in one embodiment is an enlarged cylindrical head.Extending from the enlarged cylindrical head to the second end of thebase plate is a serrated portion that is mechanically engaged with saidserrated interior surface of the support housing.

In one embodiment, the aluminum rail has a cylindrical lousing that isconnected to an upper portion. The upper portion has a bottom plate, asupport member that is located at a first end of the bottom plate, andan end wall located at a second end of the bottom plate. The end wallextends substantially vertically from the bottom plate. The cylindricalhousing receives the enlarged cylindrical head of the base plate therebyallowing the aluminum rail to pivot.

In another embodiment, the aluminum rail also has a protective coveringthat is placed over the upper portion of the aluminum rail.

In yet another embodiment, the aluminum rail has a protective coveringthat is placed over the aluminum rail.

This invention in one embodiment provides an aluminum replacement railfor a trailer having a plurality of L-brackets that are connected to thealuminum rail. The aluminum rail has a bottom plate with a supportmember located at a first end, and an end wall located at a second endof the bottom plate. The end wall extends substantially vertically fromthe bottom plate. The L-brackets include a substantially horizontallyextending first tab and a substantially vertically extending second tab.The second tab is attached to the bottom plate. A protective covering ispositioned over the support member and the end wall of the aluminumrail.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the aluminum trailer bunk.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic of a boat trailer having the aluminum trailer bunkdisclosed in this invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a replacement rail that is disclosed inthis invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The accompanying figures and the description that follows set forth thisinvention in its preferred embodiments. However, it is contemplated thatpersons generally familiar with trailer bunks will be able to apply thenovel characteristics of the structures and methods illustrated anddescribed herein in other contexts by modification of certain details.Accordingly, the figures and description are not to be taken asrestrictive on the scope of this invention, but are to be understood asbroad and general teachings. When referring to any numerical range ofvalues, such ranges are understood to include each and every numberand/or fraction between the stated range minimum and maximum. Finally,for purposes of the description hereinafter, the terms “upper”, “lower”,“right”, “left”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, andderivatives thereof shall relate to the invention, as it is oriented inthe drawing figures.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the aluminum trailer bunk 2 includesa base plate 4 having a substantially rectangular shape. At one end ofthe base plate 4 is an enlarged cylindrical head 6 that is adapted to bereceived into a cylindrical housing 8, which is located on the aluminumrail 10. When the enlarged cylindrical head 6 of the base plate 4 isreceived into and affixed to the cylindrical housing 8, the aluminumrail 10 is able to pivot in the direction of arrow A. The pivotingmovement of the aluminum rail 10 allows the angle of the rail 10 to beadjusted to match the hull angle of the boat that is being placed overthe aluminum trailer bunk 2, which ensures that the boat is securelymounted onto the boat trailer. Extending radially from either side ofthe cylindrical housing is a first web 12, which is connected to asecond web 14. The second web 14 is positioned adjacent to an interiorsurface 16 of a support tabular member 18, which extends outwardly fromthe base plate 4 proximate to the enlarged cylindrical head 6. Thepurpose of the support tabular member 18 is twofold. First, the supporttabular members limit the aluminum rail's 10 range of pivotal movement.Second, the support tabular members provide an anchor point throughwhich the bolts or fasteners are applied to fix the angle of the rail10. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the first and second tabularmembers 20, 22 form a substantially C- or U-shape that limits thepivotal movement of the aluminum rail 10 to about 26° degrees from thevertical line V that is depicted in FIG. 1. In other words, in thisembodiment the aluminum rail 10 has a total pivotal range of tip toabout 52°. Each of the first and second tabular members 20, 22 have atleast one aperture 24 (see FIG. 2) that corresponds to apertures 26 (seeFIG. 2) that are located in the second web 14. Referring to FIG. 2, theapertures 24 in each of the first and second tabular members 20, 22 areelongated and extend substantially vertically. This design allows thealuminum rail 10 to pivot yet still be fixed to base plate 4 at aparticular angle by the bolt or fasteners 28 that extend through theelongated apertures 24. By inserting at least one bolt or fastener 28through these corresponding apertures 24, 26 and fastening the bolt orfastener 28 with a nut (not shown), the aluminum rail 10 can be fixed ata desired angle. The nut is typically threaded onto the threaded end 32of the bolt or fastener 28. The base plate 4 can be manufactured fromthe Aluminum Associations' 6XXX series of aluminum alloys. In oneembodiment, the base plate 4 is manufactured from the AluminumAssociation's 6061 aluminum alloy. The base plate 4 can be manufacturedby an extrusion, cast, or forging process.

The base plate 4 also has a serrated portion 34 that is adapted tomechanically engage with serrations 36 that are located on an interiorsurface 38 of the support housing 40. As can be seen from FIG. 1, theserrations 42 in the serrated portion 34 of the base plate 4 as well asthe serrations 36 in the support housing 40 extend substantiallyperpendicular, i.e. transversely, to the trailer's cross bar 44 (seeFIG. 1). Unlike traditional trailer bunks, the serrated portion 34 ofthe base plate 4 allows the height of the aluminum rail 10 to beadjusted in the direction of arrow B thereby allowing the trailer bunk 2to accommodate a variety of boat hull designs. Additionally, whencompared to traditional trailer bunks the aluminum trailer bunk that isdisclosed in this invention is able to support a greater load since thebase plate 4 of the aluminum trailer bunk 2 is serrated and ismechanically coupled to the serrated interior 38 of the support housing40. In addition to the serrations 36, 42, the load is also supported byat least one bolt or fastener 46 that extends through apertures 48located in the support housing 40 and the aperture 50 located on thebase plate 4 of the aluminum trailer bunk 2. As can be seen from FIG. 2,the aperture 50 that is located on the base plate 4 is elongated therebyallowing the height of the base plate 4 to be adjusted. The bolt orfastener 46 is held in place by a nut 52 that is threaded onto athreaded end 54 of the bolt or fastener 46.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the support housing 40 has a substantiallytriangular shaped lower portion having a first lower wall 56 and asecond lower wall 58 that extends upward substantially vertically from asubstantially horizontally extending base 60. Extending upward andsubstantially vertically from the lower first wall 56 is a first upperwall 62. Extending upward substantially vertically from the lower secondwall 58 is a second upper wall 64. In the embodiment that is depicted inFIGS. 1 and 2, the first upper wall 62 and the second upper wall 64 eachhave an interior surface 66 that is serrated. For clarity, the firstlower wall 56 and the first upper wall 62 shall collectively be referredto as the first wall 68, while the second lower wall 64 and the secondupper wall 58 shall be collectively referred to as the second wall 70.The first wall 68 and the second wall 70 define a hollow interior 72into which the serrated base plate 4 is inserted. The serrated baseplate 4 can either be received through the top 74 of the support housing40 or through the front 76 or back 78 of the support housing 40. Oncethe base plate 4 is positioned within the hollow interior 72, the baseplate 4 is mechanically coupled to the serrations 36 that are located onthe interior surface 66 of the first and second walls 68, 70.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the base plate 4 is mechanically coupled to theserrated interior surface 66 of the first and second upper walls 62, 64.The first and second upper walls 62, 64 have at least one aperture 48that corresponds to the aperture 48 located in the opposite upper wall.The aperture 48 is adapted to receive a bolt or fastener 46, whichprovides additional load bearing support to the aluminum trailer bunk 2.The bolt or fastener 46 is held in place by a nut 52 that is threadedonto the threaded end 54 of the bolt or fastener 46. Even though FIG. 1depicts the aperture 48 as being located in the first and second upperwalls 62, 64, this is not meant to be limiting since the aperture 48 canalso be located in the lower first and second walls 56, 58 of thesupport housing 40. The support housing 40 could also have a pluralityof apertures 48 and not depart from the scope of this invention.Extending substantially laterally from the base 60 of the supporthousing 40 adjacent to the lower first and second walls 56, 58 aretabular members 82 that are used to anchor the aluminum trailer bunk 2to the boat trailer's cross bar 44. The support housing 40 can bemanufactured from the Aluminum Association's 6XXX series of aluminumalloys. In one embodiment, the support housing 40 is manufactured fromthe Aluminum Association's 6061 aluminum alloy. The support housing 40can be manufactured by an extrusion, cast, or forging process.

Each tabular member 82 depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a recess 84 thatextends substantially along the entire length of the top surface 86 ofthe tabular member 82 adjacent to the first lower wall 56 and the secondlower wall 58. As can be seen from these figures, the recess 84 extendsacross the top surface 86 of the tabular member 82 substantiallyperpendicular to the cross bar 44. In this embodiment, the recesses 84are adapted to receive the base 88 of a U-bracket 90. In anotherembodiment, however, the tabular members 82 lack the recesses 84 and thebase 88 of the U-bracket 90 is positioned adjacent to the top surface 86of the non-recessed tabular member 82. As shown in FIG. 1, the arms 92of the U-bracket 90 extend downward substantially vertically on eitherside of the trailer's cross bar 44. Each arm 92 has a threaded end 94that is received into an aperture 95 that is located on the supportplate 96 that is located adjacent to the bottom surface 98 of the crossbar 44. As can be seen from FIG. 1, the support plates 96 extendtransversely to the cross bar 44. A nut 102 is threaded onto thethreaded ends 94 of the U-bracket 90 thereby securing the U-bracket 90and consequently the aluminum trailer bunk 2 to the cross bar 44. Eventhough FIG. 1 depicts the U-brackets 90 as being mechanically affixed tothe support plate 96, the U-brackets 90 can also be welded to thesupport plate 96. In one embodiment, the U-brackets 90 and the supportplates 96 are manufactured from stainless steel.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the aluminum rail 10 includes a cylindricalhousing 8 that receives the enlarged cylindrical head 6 of the baseplate 4 and an upper portion 104 onto which the protective cover 106 isattached. The cylindrical housing 8 and the upper portion 104 of thealuminum rail 10 are connected by a support web 108 that has asubstantially triangular shape. In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1and 2, the support web 108 connects the bottom plate 110 of the upperportion 104 of the aluminum rail 10 to the top of the cylindricalhousing 8. In the embodiment that is depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, thesupport web 108 has an angle α of about 45°. When the aluminum rail 10is resting on the support tabular member 18, the support web 108 is thecontact area between the aluminum rail 10 and the support tabular member18. In FIG. 1, the triangular shaped support web 108 has a hollowinterior 112 thereby reducing the total weight of the aluminum rail 10.

The upper portion 104 of the aluminum rail 10 has a bottom plate 110having a first end 114 and a second end 116. Located at the first end114 is a support member 118. In the embodiment that is depicted in FIG.1, the support member 118 is an angular gusset having a hollow interior120. Even though FIG. 1 depicts the support member 118 as having ahollow interior 120, however, a support member 118 having a solidinterior does not depart from the teachings of this invention. Locatedat the second end 116 and extending upward substantially vertically fromthe bottom plate 110 is an end wall 122 with an outwardly curling end124. At least one fin 126, which extends upward substantially verticallyfrom the bottom plate 110, is located between the first and second ends114,116. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the two substantially verticallyextending fins 126 define three pockets 127. The first pocket 128 islocated between the support member 118 at the first end of the aluminumrail 10 and the first fin 130. The second pocket 132 is located betweenthe first fin 130 and the second fin 134. The third pocket 136 islocated between the second fin 134 and the end wall 122 at the secondend of the aluminum rail 10. The aluminum rail 10 can have more thanthree pockets if three or more fins 126 are positioned between thesupport member 118 and the end wall 122. These pockets are adapted toreceive the protective cover's 106 support ribs 138, which extendsubstantially downward parallel to the fins 126. In one embodiment, thealuminum rail 10 only has one pocket that is defined by the supportmember 118 and the end wall 122. The aluminum rail 10 can bemanufactured from the Aluminum Associations' 6XXX series of aluminumalloys. In one embodiment, the aluminum rail 10 is manufactured from theAluminum Association's 6061 aluminum alloy. The aluminum rail 10 can bemanufactured by an extrusion, cast, or forging process.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, a protective covering 106 is placed over thetop of the aluminum rail's 10 upper portion 104. In other words, theprotective covering 106 is placed over the support member 118, the fins126, and the end wall 122. The protective covering 106 is secured to theupper portion 104 of the aluminum rail 10 by at least one bolt or screw139 that extends through one or more corresponding apertures 141 thatare located in the end wall 122, the fins 126, and the support ribs 138.Typically, the head of the bolt or screw will be positioned adjacent tothe end wail 122. In another embodiment, the bolt or screw 139 extendsthrough one or more apertures 141 located only on the end wall 122 andthe support ribs 138. In yet another embodiment, the bolt or screw 139extends through one or more apertures 141 located in the protectivecover 106, the support member 118, and the support ribs 128.

The protective cover 106 includes a first portion 146, which ispositioned over and adjacent to the outer surface 148 of the supportmember 118. As can be seen from FIG. 1, the first end 142 of theprotective covering 106 wraps around the support member 118. Theprotective covering 106 also includes a second portion 150 that ispositioned over the ends 152 of the fins 126 and over the outwardlycurling end 124 of the end wall 122. Extending downward substantiallyvertically from the bottom 154 of the second portion 150 are theprotective covering's 106 support ribs 138, which are received into thepockets 128, 132, 136 that are defined by the first and second fins 130,132 as described in the preceding paragraphs Referring to FIG. 1, thesecond end 144 of the protective covering 106 wraps around the endwall's 122 curled end 124.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the distance between C and D is about4.98 cm (1.96 in) and the distance between D and E is about 7.21 cm(2.84 in). In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the angular gusset has anangle Ω of about 45°. In one embodiment, the protective covering 106 ismanufactured from Santoprene, PVC, or polypropelene. In anotherembodiment, the protective covering 106 is extruded as a single piece.This, however, is not meant to be limiting since other methods of makingthe protective covering 106 can also be used without departing from theteachings of this invention. Unlike traditional trailer bunks that usecarpet as the protective covering, the Santoprene protective coveringdoes not deteriorate rapidly after repeated exposure to water.Additionally, in order to increase the usefulness of the disclosedinvention in the dark, the protective covering 106 may also contain anadditive that causes the protective covering 106 to glow in the darkthereby increasing the visibility of the aluminum rail 10 during lowlight conditions. For example, glow pellets may be added to theprotective covering 106 to cause the protective covering 106 to glow orluminesce after the glow pellets have been exposed to a light source.

FIG. 3 depicts a boat trailer 156 having the aluminum trailer bunk 2that is described in the preceding paragraphs. A typical boat trailer156 comprises a frame 158 and one or more cross bars 44 that extendsubstantially perpendicular to the frame 158 of the boat trailer 156. Ascan be seen from this figure, the aluminum rails 10 extend substantiallyperpendicular to the boat trailer's cross bar 44. In other words, thealuminum rails 10 extend substantially parallel to the frame 158 of theboat trailer 156. The aluminum rails 10 have a third end 160 that isnear the front 162 of the boat trailer 156 and a fourth end 164 that isnear the back 166 of the trailer 156. The actual length of the aluminumrail 10 may be any length so long as there are a sufficient number ofsupport housings 40 supporting the aluminum rail 10. Ideally, thesupport housings 40 are spaced no more than about 1.83 nm (6 ft) apart.

As described above and as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair ofU-brackets 90 are used to secure the aluminum trailer bunks 2 to thecross bars 44. The base 88 of the U-brackets 90 are received into arecess 84, which extend across a top surface 86 of the tabular members82 that extend from the base 60 of the support housing 40. The recess 84extends substantially parallel to the frame 158 of the boat trailer 156and perpendicular to the boat trailer's 156 cross bar 44. The threadedends 94 of the U-brackets 90 extend through a support plate 96 and a nut102 is threaded onto the threaded ends 94 to ensure that the aluminumtrailer bunk 2 is secured to the cross bars 44. As shown in FIG. 3, theboat is loaded onto the boat trailer 156 in the direction of arrow V.The protective cover 106 extends from about 0.97 cm (0.38 in.) to about1.27 (0.5 in.) beyond the third and/or fourth ends 160, 164 of thealuminum rail 10 in order to insure that the boat hull does not comeinto contact with the aluminum rail 10 during loading. The position ofthe aluminum trailer bunks 2, the height of the aluminum rails 10 aswell as the angle of the rails 10 is adjusted to match the dimensions ofthe boat hull that will be loaded onto the boat trailer 156.

In one embodiment, the aluminum trailer bunk 2 is mounted on the frame158 of the boat trailer 156 rather than on the cross bars 44. Unlike theU-brackets 90 depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, the U-brackets 90 that securethe support housing 40 to the boat trailer 156 in this embodiment arepositioned transversely to the boat trailer's 156 frame 158. In otherwords, the arms of the U-brackets 90 extend downward substantiallyvertically on either side of the trailer's frame 158 and are receivedinto the support plates 96, which extend substantially perpendicular tothe frame 158 of the boat trailer 156. Accordingly, the tabular members82 in this embodiment are not located adjacent to the lower first orsecond walls 56, 58, rather the tabular members 82 extend from the frontand back 76, 78 of the support housing 40. As with the previouslydescribed embodiments, a nut 102 is threaded onto the threaded ends 94of the U-brackets 90 to secure the U-brackets 90 to the support plates96. Other than these differences, the aluminum trailer bunk 2 in thisembodiment is identical in structure to the aluminum trailer bunk 2described in the preceding paragraphs.

In another embodiment the aluminum trailer bunk 2 lacks the supporttabular members 18.

FIG. 4 depicts another embodiment of the aluminum trailer bunk 2. Inthis embodiment, the aluminum rail 10 lacks the cylindrical housing 8and the support web 108 that connects the cylindrical housing 8 to theupper portion 104 of the aluminum rail 10. Because this particularembodiment is designed as a replacement rail to an existing bunk rail ona boat trailer, a pair of L-brackets 168 having a substantiallyhorizontally extending first tab 170 and a substantially verticallyextending second tab 172 replaces the cylindrical housing 8 and thesupport web 108. As can be seen from FIG. 4, the second tab 172 connectsthe bottom plate 110 of the upper portion 104 of the aluminum rail 10 tothe first tab 170. The first tab 170 has at least one aperture 174through which a bolt or fastener (not shown) is inserted in order tosecure the aluminum rail 10 to the frame of the boat trailer. The boltor fastener is held in place by a nut that is threaded onto the threadedend of the bolt or fastener. Even though FIG. 4 depicts the first tab170 as being substantially horizontal and the second tab 172 as beingsubstantially vertical, the first and/or second tabs 170, 172 could alsobe substantially angled so that the upper portion 104 of the aluminumrail 10 is oriented to match the particular dimensions of a boat's hull.

As can be seen from this FIG. 4, the upper portion 104 of the aluminumrail 10 has the same structural configuration as the aluminum rail 10depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. As in FIG. 1, the upper portion 104 of thealuminum rail 10 depicted in FIG. 3 includes a bottom plate 110 having afirst end 114 and a second end 116. Located at the first end 114 is asupport member 118. In this particular embodiment, the support member118 is an angular gusset having a hollow interior 120. As describedabove, however, the support member 118 could also have a solid interiorand not depart from the teachings of this invention. Located at thesecond end 116 and extending upward substantially vertically from thebottom plate 110 is an end wall 122 with an outwardly curling end 124.Between the first and second ends 114, 116 is at least one fin 126,which extends upward substantially vertically from the bottom plate 110of the aluminum rail 10. In the embodiment that is shown in FIG. 4, thefirst and second fins 130, 134 define three pockets. The first pocket128 is located between the support member 118 at the first end 114 ofthe aluminum rail 10 and the first fin 130. The second pocket 132 islocated between the first fin 130 and the second fin 134. The thirdpocket 136 is located between the second fin 134 and the end wall 122 atthe second end 116 of the aluminum rail 10. These pockets are adapted toreceive the protective cover's 106 support ribs 138, which extendsubstantially downward parallel to the fins 126. The aluminum rail 10can be manufactured from the Aluminum Associations' 6XXX series ofaluminum alloys. In one embodiment, the aluminum rail 10 is manufacturedfrom the Aluminum Association's 6061 aluminum alloy. The aluminum rail10 can be manufactured by an extrusion, cast, or forging process.

Similar to the protective covering 106 described above, the protectivecovering 106 in FIG. 4 is secured to the upper portion 104 of thealuminum rail by at least one bolt or screw 139 that extends through theend wall 122, the fins 126, and the support ribs 128. Typically, thehead of the bolt or screw will be positioned adjacent to the end wall122. In another embodiment, the bolt or screw extends through the endwall 122 and the support ribs 138. In yet another embodiment, the screwor bolt extends through the protective cover 106, the support member118, and the support ribs 138. The protective cover 106 includes a firstportion 146, which is positioned over and adjacent to the outer surface148 of the support member 118. As can be seen from FIG. 1, the first end142 of the protective covering 106 wraps around the support member 118.The protective covering 106 also includes a second portion 150 that ispositioned over the ends 152 of the fins 126 and over the outwardlycurling end 124 of the end wall 122. Extending downward substantiallyvertically from the bottom 154 of the second portion 150 are theprotective covering's 106 support ribs 138, which are received into thepockets 128, 132, 136 that are defined by the first and second fins 130,132 as described in the preceding paragraphs. As can be seen in FIG. 4,the second end 144 of the protective covering 106 wraps around the endwall's 122 curled end 124. The protective cover 106 typically extendsfrom about 0.97 cm (0.38 in.) to about 1.27 (0.5 in.) beyond the thirdand/or fourth ends 160, 164 (see FIG. 3) of the aluminum rail 10 inorder to insure that the boat hull does not come into contact with thealuminum rail 10 during loading.

Referring to FIG. 4, the distance between C and D is about 4.98 cm (1.96in) and the distance between D and E is about 7.21 cm (2.84 in). In theembodiment shown in FIG. 4, the angular gusset has an angle Ω of about45°. The protective covering 106 could be manufactured from Santoprene,PVC, or polypropelene. In another embodiment, the protective covering106 is extruded as single piece. This, however, is not meant to belimiting since other methods of making the protective covering 106 canalso be used without departing from the teachings of this invention.Unlike traditional trailer bunks that use carpet as the protectivecovering, the Santoprene protective covering does not deterioraterapidly after repeated exposure to water. Additionally, in order toincrease the usefulness of the disclosed invention in the dark, theprotective covering can contain an additive which causes the protectivecovering to glow in the dark thereby increasing the visibility of thealuminum trailer bunk during low light conditions. As described in thepreceding paragraphs, the additive can be glow pellets that allow theprotective covering to luminesce after the glow pellets have beenexposed to a light source.

Having described the presently preferred embodiments, it is to beunderstood that the invention may be otherwise embodied within the scopeof the appended claims.

1. The adjustable aluminum replacement rail comprising: a pivotalaluminum rail having a bottom; a plurality of L-brackets, each L-bracketof the plurality of L-brackets comprising a first tab and a second tabcontacted to the first tab, wherein the second tab being attached to thebottom of the pivotal aluminum rail; and a protective covering beingplaced over a substantial portion of the pivotal aluminum rail.
 2. Theadjustable aluminum replacement rail according to claim 1 wherein thefirst tab comprises at least one aperture.
 3. The adjustable aluminumreplacement rail according to claim 1 wherein the protective coveringcomprises Santoprene.
 4. The adjustable aluminum replacement railaccording to claim 1 wherein the protective covering is an extrusion. 5.The adjustable aluminum trailer replacement rail according to claim 1wherein the pivotal aluminum rail is an Aluminum Association's 6XXXseries of aluminum alloys.
 6. The adjustable aluminum trailerreplacement rail according to claim 1 wherein the pivotal aluminum railis an extrusion, a casting, or a forging.
 7. The adjustable aluminumtrailer according to claim 1 wherein the second tab is orientedsubstantially perpendicular to the first tab.
 8. The adjustable aluminumtrailer according to claim 1 wherein the second tab is orientedsubstantially perpendicular to the bottom of the pivotal aluminum rail.